View source for Falkland Islands

The '''Falkland Islands''' are an [[archipelago]] in the [[South Atlantic Ocean]], located 300 miles from the coast of [[Argentina]], 671 miles west of the [[Shag Rocks (South Georgia)|Shag Rocks]] ([[South Georgia]]), and 584 miles north of [[British Antarctic Territory|British Antarctica]] ([[Elephant Island (South Shetland Islands)|Elephant Island]]). They consist of two main islands, [[East Falkland]] and [[West Falkland]], together with 776 smaller islands.<ref name="islands">cite web
  | title = The Islands: Location
  | work = Falkland Islands Government web site
  | publisher =
  | url = http://www.falklands.gov.fk/location.php
  | date = 2007
  | accessdate =2007-04-08</ref> [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]], on East Falkland, is the capital. The islands are a self-governing [[British overseas territories|Overseas Territory]] of the [[United Kingdom]], but have been the subject of a [[Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands|claim to sovereignty]] by Argentina since the [[Re-assertion of British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands (1833)|re-assertion of British sovereignty in 1833]].<ref>[http://www.cancilleria.gov.ar/portal/seree/malvinas/home.html Argentine official claim &mdash; Origin of the sovereignty dispute] (Spanish and English)</ref>

In pursuit of this claim in 1982, the islands were [[1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands|invaded by Argentina]], precipitating the two-month-long undeclared [[Falklands War]] between Argentina and the United Kingdom, which resulted in the defeat and withdrawal of Argentine forces. Since the war there has been strong economic growth in both [[fishery|fisheries]] and tourism. The inhabitants of the islands are full [[British nationality law|British citizens]] (since a [[British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983|1983 Act]]) and under Argentine Law are eligible for Argentine [[nationality law|citizenship]].<ref>[http://hum.unne.edu.ar/publicaciones/maes_desarrollo/Kelpers.html ''de acuerdo al Derecho Positivo de la Argentina son Ciudadanos de la Nación Argentina por el solo hecho de nacer en su territorio, siguiendo el principio de Ius soli'' ]</ref> Many trace their origins on the islands to early 19th-century [[Scotland|Scottish]] immigration. The islands' residents reject the Argentine [[sovereignty]] claim.<ref>
{{cite web
  | title = Country Profile: Falkland Islands
  | work = Countries & Regions
  | publisher =[[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]]
  | url =http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1018965238550
  | date = [[2006-11-09]]
  | accessdate =2007-02-21}}
</ref>

==Name==
{{See also|List of Falkland Islands placenames}}
The islands are referred to in the [[English language]] as "[The] Falkland Islands". This name dates from an expedition led by John Strong in 1690, who named the islands after his patron, [[Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland]]. The [[Spanish language|Spanish]] name for the islands, ''"Islas Malvinas"'', is derived from the [[French language|French]] name ''"Îles Malouines"'', bestowed in 1764 by [[Louis Antoine de Bougainville]], after the mariners and fishermen from the [[Brittany|Breton]] port of [[Saint-Malo]] who became the island's first known settlers.

The [[ISO 3166|ISO]] designation is "Falkland Islands (Malvinas)".

Due to the ongoing sovereignty dispute, the use of many Spanish names is considered offensive in the Falkland Islands, particularly those associated with the [[Falklands War|1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.falklands.info/background/99agree.html|title=AGREEMENT OF 14th JULY 1999|publisher=Falklands.info|accessdate=2007-07-23}}</ref> General Sir [[Jeremy Moore]] would not allow the use of Islas Malvinas in the [[Falklands War Argentine surrender|surrender document]], dismissing it as a [[propaganda]] term.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.psywar.org/falklands.php|title=PSYOP of the Falkland Islands War|publisher=psywar.org|accessdate=2007-07-23}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of the Falkland Islands}}
The Falkland Islands have had a complex history since their discovery, with [[French colonial empires|France]], [[British Empire|Britain]], [[Spanish Empire|Spain]], and [[Argentina]] all claiming possession, and establishing as well as abandoning settlements on the islands. The [[Falklands Crisis (1770)|Falklands Crisis of 1770]] was nearly the cause of a war between a Franco-Spanish Alliance and Britain. The Spanish government's claim was continued by Argentina after the [[Argentine Declaration of Independence|latter's independence]] in 1816 and the [[Argentine War of Independence|independence war]] in 1817. The United Kingdom [[Re-assertion of British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands (1833)|returned to the islands in 1833]] following the destruction of the Argentine settlement at [[Port Louis, Falkland Islands|Puerto Luis]] by the [[United States|American]] sloop [[USS Lexington (1825)|USS ''Lexington'']] ([[28 December]] [[1831]]). Argentina has continued to claim sovereignty over the islands, and the dispute was used by the [[National Reorganization Process|military junta]] as a pretext to invade and briefly occupy the islands before being defeated in the two-month-long [[Falklands War]] in 1982 by a United Kingdom task force which returned the islands to British control.

The islands were uninhabited when they were first discovered by [[Age of Discovery|European explorers]]. There is disputed evidence of prior settlement, based on:
*The existence of the [[Falkland Island fox]], or Warrah (now extinct). It is thought that humans brought it to the islands, but it may have reached the islands via a [[land bridge]] when the [[sea level]] was much lower during the last [[ice age]].
*A scattering of undated [[artefact]]s including [[arrowhead]]s and the remains of a [[canoe]].

The first European explorer to sight the islands is widely thought to be [[Sebald de Weert]], a [[Dutch Empire|Dutch]] sailor, in 1600. Although several British and Spanish historians maintain their own explorers discovered the islands earlier, some older maps, particularly Dutch ones, used the name "Sebald Islands", after de Weert.

In January 1690, [[Kingdom of England|English]] sailor John Strong, captain of the ''Welfare'', was heading for [[Puerto Deseado]] (in Argentina); but driven off course by contrary winds, he reached the Sebald Islands instead and landed at Bold Cove. He sailed between the two principal islands and called the passage "Falkland Channel" (now [[Falkland Sound]]), after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland (1659&ndash;1694), who as Commissioner of the [[Admiralty]] had financed the expedition, later becoming First Lord of the Admiralty. From this body of water the island group later took its collective English name.

[[Image:Upland.jpg|thumb|left|Upland.]] [[Image:Camp-Settlement.jpg|thumb|left|Camp settlement.]] 

The first settlement on the Falkland Islands, called [[Port St. Louis]], was founded by the French navigator and military commander Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1764 on Berkeley Sound, in present-day [[Port Louis, Falkland Islands|Port Louis]], [[East Falkland]].

Unaware of the French presence, in January 1765 British captain [[John Byron]] explored and claimed [[Saunders Island, Falkland Islands|Saunders Island]], at the western end of the group, where he named the harbour of [[Port Egmont]], and sailed near other islands, which he also claimed for [[George III of the United Kingdom|King George III]]. A British settlement was built at Port Egmont in 1766. Also in 1766, Spain acquired the French colony, and after assuming effective control in 1767, placed the islands under a governor subordinate to the [[Government of the Río de la Plata#Buenos Aires Province governors|Buenos Aires colonial administration]]. Spain attacked Port Egmont, ending the British presence there in 1770. The expulsion of the British settlement [[Falkland Crisis (1770)|brought the two countries to the brink of war]], but a peace treaty allowed the British to return to Port Egmont in 1771 with neither side relinquishing sovereignty.<ref name="briefhistory2">[http://www.falklands.info/history/history2.html A brief history of the Falkland Islands Part 2 - Fort St. Louis and Port Egmont.], Accessed [[2007-09-08]]</ref>

As a result of economic pressures resulting from the upcoming [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]], the United Kingdom unilaterally chose to withdraw from many of her overseas settlements in 1774.<ref>[http://www.falklands.info/history/history2.html] A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS: Part 2 - Fort St. Louis and Port Egmont</ref><ref>[http://www.falklands.info/history/timeline.html] FALKLAND ISLANDS TIMELINE: A Chronology of events in the history of the Falkland Islands</ref> Upon her withdrawal in 1776 the UK left behind a [[commemorative plaque|plaque]] asserting her claims. From then on, Spain alone maintained a settlement ruled from [[Buenos Aires]] under the control of the [[Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata]] until 1811. On leaving in 1811, Spain, too, left behind a plaque asserting her claims.

When Argentina declared its independence from Spain in 1816, it laid claim to the islands according to the ''[[uti possidetis]]'' principle, since they had been under the administrative jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. 
On [[6 November]] [[1820]], Colonel [[David Jewett]], raised the flag of the [[United Provinces of the River Plate]] (Argentina) at Port Louis.  [[David Jewett|Jewett]] was an American sailor and [[privateer]] in the employment of businessman Patrick Lynch to captain his ship, the frigate [[Heroina|''Heroína'']].  (Lynch had obtained a corsair licence from the Buenos Aires Supreme Director Jose Rondeau.) [[David Jewett|Jewett]] had put into the islands the previous month, following a disastrous eight month voyage with most of his crew disabled by scurvy and disease.  After resting in the islands and repairing his ship he returned to Buenos Aires.

Occupation began in 1828 with the foundation of a settlement and a penal colony. The settlement was destroyed by United States warships in 1831 after the Argentinian governor of the islands Luis Vernet seized U.S. seal hunting ships during a dispute over fishing rights. They left behind escaped prisoners and pirates. In November 1832, Argentina sent another governor who was killed in a mutiny.

In January 1833, British forces returned and informed the Argentine commander that they intended to assert British sovereignty. The existing settlers were allowed to remain, with an [[Ireland|Irish]] member of Vernet's settlement, William Dickson, appointed as the Islands' governor. Vernet's deputy, Matthew Brisbane, returned later that year and was informed that the British had no objections to the continuation of Vernet's business ventures provided there was no interference with British control.<ref>{{cite book|first=Laurio H.|last=Destéfani|title=The Malvinas, the South Georgias and the South Sandwich Islands, the conflict with Britain|location=Buenos Aires|date=1982}}</ref><ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Apcbg/Darwin-1834 Extracts from the Diary of Charles Darwin</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=EHBeagleDiary&viewtype=text&pageseq=304&keywords=falklands |title=Darwin's Beagle Diary (1831-1836)|pages=p.304|publisher=The Complete Works of Charles Darwin Online|accessdate=2007-07-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cpel.uba.ar/filargenta/correo/malv0020.htm|title=Ocupación británica: Port Stanley (Puerto Argentino)|language=Spanish|accessdate=2007-07-23|publisher=}}</ref>  

[[Image:stan 001.jpg|right|thumb|Road sign to the [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|capital]].]]
The [[Royal Navy]] built a base at [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]], and the islands became a strategic point for navigation around [[Cape Horn]]. A [[World War I]] naval battle, the [[Battle of Falkland Islands]], took place in December 1914, with a British victory over the [[German Empire|Germans]]. During [[World War II]], Stanley served as a Royal Navy station and serviced ships which took part in the [[Battle of the River Plate]].

Sovereignty over the islands became an issue again in the latter half of the 20th century. Argentina, which had never renounced its claim to the islands, saw the creation of the [[United Nations]] as an opportunity to present its case before the rest of the world. In 1945, upon signing the [[United Nations Charter|UN Charter]], Argentina stated that it reserved its right to sovereignty of the islands, as well as its right to recover them. The United Kingdom responded in turn by stating that, as an essential precondition for the fulfillment of UN Resolution 1514,<ref>[http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/152/88/IMG/NR015288.pdf?OpenElement Ods Home Page<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> regarding the de-colonisation of all territories still under foreign occupation, the [[Falklanders]] first had to vote for the British withdrawal at a [[referendum]] to be held on the issue.

[[Image:Aerial photo Port Stanley.jpg|thumb|[[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]].]]
Talks between British and Argentine foreign missions took place in the 1960s, but failed to come to any meaningful conclusion. A major sticking point in all the negotiations was that the two thousand inhabitants of mainly British descent preferred that the islands remain British territory.

===Argentine links===
There were no air links to the islands until 1971, when the [[Argentine Air Force]] (FAA), which operates the state airline [[LADE]], began [[amphibious aircraft|amphibious flights]] between [[Comodoro Rivadavia]] and Stanley using [[HU-16 Albatross|Grumman HU-16 Albatross]] aircraft.<ref>[http://web.sion.com/s.alaimo/malvinas.html Commemorative Stamps of first flights]</ref>

Following a FAA request, the UK and Argentina reached an agreement for the FAA to construct the first runway. Flights began using [[Fokker F27]] and continued with [[Fokker F28]] aircraft twice a week until 1982. This was the only air link to the islands.

[[Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales|YPF]], the Argentine national oil and gas company, now part of [[Repsol YPF]], supplied the islands' energy needs.

===Falklands War===
{{main|Falklands War}}
On [[2 April]] [[1982]], Argentina [[1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands|invaded the Falkland Islands]] and other British territories in the South Atlantic ([[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]]). The [[National Reorganization Process|military junta]] which had ruled Argentina since 1976 sought to maintain power by diverting public attention from the nation's [[Economy of Argentina#Post-World War II|poor economic performance]]. They attempted to do this by playing off long-standing feelings of the Argentines towards the islands.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.me.gov.ar/curriform/publica/sirlin_conv_dictadura.pdf Argentine Government]|185&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 189962 bytes -->}}</ref> British writers hold that the United Kingdom's reduction in military capacity in the South Atlantic also encouraged the invasion.<ref>{{cite web | title = Guide to the conflict | work = Fight for the Falklands &mdash; 20 years on | publisher =[[BBC News]] | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk/2002/falklands/guide2.stm | quote = The Foreign Secretary, [[Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington|Lord Carrington]], and two junior ministers had resigned by the end of the week <nowiki>[following the Argentinian invasion]</nowiki>. They took the blame for Britain's poor preparations and plans to decommission [[HMS Endurance (1967)|HMS ''Endurance'']], the Navy's only Antarctic patrol vessel. It was a move which may have lead the Junta to believe the UK had little interest in keeping the Falklands. | accessdate =2007-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title =Secret Falklands fleet revealed | work =[[BBC News]] | quote =[[David Owen|Lord Owen]], who was foreign secretary in 1977, said that if [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s Conservative government had taken similar action to that of five years earlier, the war would not have happened. | publisher =[[bbc.co.uk]] | date =[[2005-06-01]] | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4597581.stm | accessdate =2007-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Casciani | first =Dominic | title =1976 Falklands invasion warning | work =[[BBC News]] | quote =The [[Oliver Franks, Baron Franks|Franks]] Report into the eventual war noted that as tension mounted during 1977, the government covertly sent a small naval force to the islands &mdash; but did not repeat the move when relations worsened again in 1981-2. This has led some critics to blame prime minister Margaret Thatcher for the war, saying the decision to plan the withdrawal of the only naval vessel in the area sent the wrong signal to the military junta in Buenos Aires. | publisher =[[bbc.co.uk]] | date =[[2006-12-29]] | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6213121.stm | accessdate =}}</ref>

The [[United Nations Security Council]] issued [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 502|Resolution 502]], calling on Argentina to withdraw forces from the Islands and for both parties to seek a diplomatic solution.<ref> [http://www.historycentral.com/HistoricalDocuments/UNReso502.html HistoryCentral. United Nations Resolution 502, ''Adopted by the Security Council at its 2350th meeting held on 3 April 1982.'']</ref> International reaction ranged from support in the [[Latin America]]n countries (with the exception of [[Chile]]), to opposition in Europe (with the exception of [[Spain]]), the [[Commonwealth]], and eventually the United States. The British sent an [[expeditionary force]] to retake the islands, leading to the [[Falklands War]]. After short but fierce naval and air battles, the British landed at San Carlos Water on [[21 May]], and a land campaign followed until the Argentine forces surrendered on [[14 June]].

Following the war, the British increased their military presence on the islands, constructing [[RAF Mount Pleasant]] and increasing the military garrison. Although the United Kingdom and Argentina resumed diplomatic relations in 1989, no further negotiations on sovereignty have taken place.

==Politics==
{{main|Politics of the Falkland Islands|Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands}}

[[Image:Falkland Islands Coronation Stamp.jpg|right|thumb|A Falkland stamp commemorating the coronation of [[King George VI]] of the [[United Kingdom]].]]

[[Executive (government)|Executive authority]] is vested in the [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen]] and is exercised by the [[Governor of the Falkland Islands|Governor]] on her behalf. The Governor is also responsible for the administration of [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]], as these islands have no native inhabitants. Defence and Foreign Affairs are the responsibility of the United Kingdom. The current Governor is [[Alan Huckle]], appointed July 2006.

Under the [[constitution]], the latest version of which came into force in 1985, there is an [[Executive Council]] and a [[Legislative Council of the Falkland Islands]]. The Executive Council, which advises the Governor, is also chaired by the Governor. It consists of the Chief Executive, Financial Secretary and three Legislative Councillors, who are elected by the other Legislative Councillors. The Legislative Council consists of the Chief Executive, Financial Secretary and the eight Legislative Councillors, of whom five are elected from Stanley and three from [[Camp (Falkland Islands)|Camp]], for four-year terms. It is presided over by the Speaker, currently Darwin Lewis Clifton.

The loss of the war against the United Kingdom over control of the islands led to the collapse of the Argentine [[National Reorganization Process|military dictatorship]] in 1983. Disputes over control of the islands continue. In 1992 Argentina and Britain resumed diplomatic relations and reopened their embassies in each other's countries. In 1998, in retaliation to former Chilean president Augusto [[Pinochet]]'s arrest in London, the [[Chilean]] government banned flights between [[Punta Arenas]] and [[Port Stanley]], thus isolating the islands from the rest of the world. [[Uruguay]] and [[Brazil]] refused to authorise direct flights between their territories and Port Stanley, forcing the Islands' government to enter negotiations with the Argentine government which led to Argentina authorising direct flights between its territory and Stanley, on condition that Argentine citizens be allowed on the islands.<ref>[http://falklands.info/history/99comm.html] AGREEMENT OF 14th JULY 1999</ref> In 2001, British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] became the first Prime Minister to visit Argentina since the war. On the twenty-second anniversary of the war, Argentina's President [[Néstor Kirchner]] gave a speech insisting that the islands would once again be part of Argentina. Kirchner, [[Argentine general election, 2003|campaigning for president]] in 2003, regarded the islands as a top priority. In June 2003 the issue was brought before a United Nations committee, and attempts have been made to open talks with the United Kingdom to resolve the issue of the islands. As far as the Falkland Islands Government and people are concerned, there is no issue to resolve. The Falkland Islanders themselves are almost entirely British and maintain their allegiance to the United Kingdom.<ref>[http://www.falklands.gov.fk/overview.php Falkland Islands Government Overview.]</ref>

On [[2 April]] [[2007]] (exactly 25 years after the Argentine invasion), Argentina renewed its claim over the Falkland Islands, asking for the UK to resume talks on sovereignty.

Falkland Islanders were granted full British citizenship from [[1 January]] [[1983]] under the [[British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983]].

[[22 September]] [[2007]], [[The Guardian]] reported the UK government was preparing to stake new claims on the sea floor around the Falklands and other UK remote island possessions, in order to exploit natural resources that may be present.<ref name="Guardian"> 
{{cite news |first=Owen |last=Bowcott |title=The new British empire? UK plans to annex south Atlantic |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/argentina/story/0,,2174616,00.html |publisher=The Guardian |date=2007-09-22 |accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref>  In October 2007, a British spokeswoman confirmed that Britain intended to submit a claim<ref name="Reuters_Antartica">
{{cite news |first=Kate|last=Kelland|title=Britain to claim a million square km of Antarctica |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL1721422020071017 |publisher=Reuters |date=2007-10-18 |accessdate=2007-10-20}}</ref> to the UN to extend seabed territory around the Falklands and South Georgia, in advance of the expiry of the deadline<ref name="Prof_Dodds">{{cite news |first=Prof Klaus|last=Dodds|title=Icy imperialism or reinforcement of the Antarctic treaty? |url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,,2194803,00.html |publisher=The Guardian|date=2007-10-19 |accessdate=2007-10-20}}</ref> for territorial claims following Britain's ratification of the [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea|1982 Law of the Sea Convention]].<ref name="Law_of_The_Sea">[http://www.globelaw.com/LawSea/lsconts.htm] Table of Contents to the UN Law of the Sea Convention</ref>.  If the claim is disputed, the UN will suspend the claim until the dispute is settled.<ref name="Reuters_Antartica"/>  The claim is largely theoretical and does not affect the [[Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic treaty]] or confirm new rights upon Britain.  Neither does it permit the exploitation of oil or gas reserves, since these are banned by a protocol to the treaty.  It would enable Britain to police fishing within the zone to prevent over exploitation of natural resources by commercial fishing in line with Britain's obligations under the treaty.<ref name="Prof_Boyle">{{cite news |first=Prof Alan|last=Boyle|title=Icy imperialism or reinforcement of the Antarctic treaty? |url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,,2194803,00.html |publisher=The Guardian|date=2007-10-19 |access date=2007-10-20}}</ref>  Nevertheless many commentators have criticised the move for going against the ''spirit'' of the [[Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic treaty]].<ref name ="Prof_Dodds"/>  Argentina has indicated it will challenge any British claim to Antarctic territory and the area around the Falkland Islands and [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands|South Georgia]].<ref name="Argentine_protests">{{cite news |first=Owen |last=Boycott |title=Argentina ready to challenge Britain's Antarctic claims |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/oct/19/climatechange.fossilfuels |publisher=The Guardian |date=2007-10-19 |accessdate=2007-10-20}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[Image:Falkland Islands topographic map-en.svg|thumb|270px|Map of the Falkland Islands.]]
<!-- [[Image:TierraDelFuego.PNG|right|thumb|220px|The position of the Falklands relative to Argentine and [[Chile]]an [[Tierra del Fuego]] and [[Patagonia]]]] -->

{{seealso|Geology of the Falkland Islands|Rivers of the Falkland Islands}}

The Falkland Islands comprise two main islands, [[East Falkland]] and [[West Falkland]] (in Spanish Isla Gran Malvina and Isla Soledad respectively), and about 776 small islands.<ref name="islands"/> The total land area is 4,700&nbsp;[[square mile]]s (12,173&nbsp;[[square kilometre|km²]]), approximately the same area as [[Connecticut]] or [[Northern Ireland]], with a [[coastline]] estimated at 800&nbsp;miles (1,288&nbsp;km).

Much of the land is part of the two main islands separated by the [[Falkland Sound]]: [[East Falkland]], home to the capital of [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]] and the majority of the population, and [[West Falkland]]. Both islands have [[mountain range]]s, rising to 2,313 [[foot (unit of length)|feet]] (705&nbsp;[[metre|m]]) at [[Mount Usborne]] on East Falkland. There are also some [[bog]]gy [[plain]]s, most notably [[Lafonia]], on the southern half of East Falkland. Virtually the entire area of the islands is used as [[pasture]] for [[domestic sheep|sheep]].

Smaller islands surround the main two. They include [[Barren Island (Falkland Islands)|Barren Island]], [[Beaver Island (Falkland Islands)|Beaver Island]], [[Bleaker Island]], [[Carcass Island]], [[George Island]], [[Keppel Island]], [[Lively Island]], [[New Island]], [[Pebble Island]], [[Saunders Island (Falkland Islands)|Saunders Island]], [[Sealion Island]], [[Speedwell Island]], [[Staats Island]], [[Weddell Island]], and [[West Point Island]]. The [[Jason Islands]] lie to the north west of the main archipelago, and [[Beauchene Island]] some distance to its south. Speedwell Island and George Island are split from East Falkland by [[Eagle Passage]].

The islands claim a territorial sea of 12&nbsp;[[nautical mile]]s (22&nbsp;km) and an [[Exclusive Economic Zone|exclusive fishing zone]] of 200&nbsp;nautical miles (370&nbsp;km), which has been a source of disagreement with Argentina.

Surrounded by cool [[Atlantic Ocean|South Atlantic]] waters, the Falkland Islands have a climate very much influenced by the ocean with a narrow annual temperature range of only 7&deg;C. January averages about 9&deg;C, with average daily high of 13&deg;C, while July averages about 2&deg;C with average daily high 4&deg;C. Rainfall is relatively low at about 24&nbsp;inches. [[Humidity]] and winds, however, are constantly high. Snow is rare, but can occur at almost any time of year.

[[Biogeography|Biogeographically]], the Falkland Islands are classified as part of the [[Neotropical]] realm, together with South America. It is also classified as part of the [[Antarctic Floristic Kingdom]].

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of the Falkland Islands}}
[[Domestic sheep|Sheep]] farming (as of 2002, there were 583,000 sheep on the island<ref>http://www.falklands-meat.com/statement.htm</ref>) was formerly the main source of income for the islands, and still plays an important part with high quality wool exports going to the UK, but efforts to diversify introduced in 1984 have made [[fishing]] the largest part of the economy and brought increasing income from [[tourism]].

The government sale of fishing licences to foreign countries has brought in more than [[Falkland Islands pound|£]]40 million a year in revenues, and local fishing boats are also in operation. More than 75% of the fish taken are [[squid]], and most exports are to [[Spain]]. Tourism has shown rapid growth, with more than 30,000 visitors in 2001. The islands have become a regular port of call for the growing market of [[cruise ship]]s. Attractions include the scenery and wildlife conservation with [[penguin]]s, seabirds, [[pinniped|seals]] and [[sealion]]s, as well as visits to battlefields, [[golf]], fishing and [[wreck diving]].

An agreement with Argentina had set the terms for exploitation of offshore resources including large [[oil reserves]], however, in 2007 Argentina unilaterally withdrew from the agreement.<ref name=""Kirchner_oil">{{cite news |first=Sophie |last=Arie |title=Argentina snubs UK over oil deal as anniversary nears |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/29/warg29.xml |publisher=The Daily Telegraph |date=2007-04-03 |accessdate=2007-10-20}}</ref>  In response, Falklands Oil and Gas Limited has signed an agreement with [[BHP Billiton]] to investigate the potential exploitation of oil reserves.<ref name="Times_Oil_Deal">
{{cite news |first=Carl |last=Mortished |title=BHP Billiton strikes $100m Falklands drilling deal |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article2577806.ece |publisher=The Times |date=2007-10-03 |accessdate=2007-10-20}}</ref>  Climatic conditions of the southern seas mean that exploitation will be a difficult task, though economically viable, and the continuing sovereignty dispute with Argentina is hampering progress.<ref name="Argentine_response">{{cite news |first=Jude |last=Webber |title=Argentina protests at Falklands oil stake |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aa2294fe-71d7-11dc-8960-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 |publisher=The Financial Times |date=2007-10-03 |accessdate=2007-10-20}}</ref>

Defence is provided by the UK, and British military expenditures make a significant contribution to the economy. The islands are self sufficient except for defence; exports account for more than £125&nbsp;million a year.

The largest company in the islands used to be the [[Falkland Islands Company]] (FIC), a publicly quoted company on the [[London Stock Exchange]] which was responsible for the majority of the economic activity on the islands, though its farms were sold in 1991 to the Falkland Islands Government. The FIC now operates several retail outlets in Stanley and is involved in port services and shipping operation.

The currency in use is the [[Falkland Islands pound|Falkland Pound]], which remains in parity with the [[pound sterling]]. Sterling notes and coins circulate interchangeably with the local currency. The Falkland Islands also [[mint (coin)|mint]] their own coins, and [[Postage stamps and postal history of the Falkland Islands|issue stamps]], which forms a source of revenue from overseas collectors.

==Demographics==
[[Image:IMG 0688-ch-whalebone-arch.jpg|thumb|left|[[Christ Church Cathedral (Falkland Islands)|Christ Church Cathedral]] with whale bone arch, [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]].]]
{{seealso|Falkland Islanders|Origins of Falkland Islanders}}
The population is 2,967 (July 2003 estimate), the majority of which are of British descent (approximately 70%), as a result of primarily [[Scottish people|Scottish]] and [[Welsh people|Welsh]] immigration to the islands.<ref>{{cite book|first=Patrick|last=Vincent|title=The Geographical Journal, Vol. 149, No. 1, pp 16-17|date=Mar. 1983}}</ref> The native-born inhabitants call themselves "Islanders". Outsiders often call Islanders "Kelpers", from the [[kelp]] which grows profusely around the islands, but the name is no longer used in the Islands. Those people from the United Kingdom who have obtained Falkland Island status became what are known locally as 'belongers'.  A few Islanders are of [[French people|French]], [[Gibraltar]]ian (such as the Pitalaugas), [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] and [[Scandinavia]]n descent. Some are the descendants of [[whaling|whalers]] who reached the Islands during the last two centuries. Furthermore there is a small minority of South American, mainly [[Chile]]an origin, and in more recent times many people from [[Saint Helena]] have also come to work in the Islands. The Falkland Islands have been a centre of English language learning for South Americans.

The main religion is [[Christianity]]. The main denominations are [[Church of England]], [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], [[United Free Church]], and [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]]-based denominations. Other smaller numbers of Christian churches are active, including [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]] and [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]]; with the latter being due to Greek fishermen passing through. There is also a small [[Bahá'í Faith|Bahá'í]] presence <ref>[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Falklands.html Falkland Islands<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.

==Medical care==
The Falkland Islands Government Health and Social Services Department provides medical care for the islands. The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) is Stanley's only hospital. It was partially military operated in the past but is now under complete civilian control.<ref>[http://www.falklands.gov.fk/4b.htm Falkland Islands Government<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> There are no [[ophthalmology|ophthalmologists]] or [[optician]]s on the islands, although an optician from the United Kingdom visits about every six months and an ophthalmologist comes to do [[cataract]] surgery and eye exams on irregular intervals (once every few years). There are two [[dentist]]s on the islands.

==Broadcasting and telecommunications==
===Broadcasting===
*[[PAL]] television, using the UK UHF allocation is standard.
*FM stereo broadcasting using the UK allocation is standard.
*MW broadcasting using 10 kHz steps (standard in [[International Telecommunication Union|ITU]] Zone I).

===Telephone===
The Falkland Islands has a modern telecommunications network providing fixed line telephone and DSL and [[dial-up access|dial-up internet services]] in Stanley.

Telephony is provided to outlying settlements using [[microwave radio relay|microwave radio]].

A [[GSM]] mobile network was installed in 2005 which provided coverage of Stanley, Mount Pleasant and surrounding areas.

==Transport==
[[Image:IMG 0686-dash-7.jpg|thumb|left|The [[De Havilland Canada Dash 7|Dash-7]] of the [[British Antarctic Survey]] at [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]].]] The Falkland Islands has two airports with paved runways. [[RAF Mount Pleasant]], thirty miles west of Stanley, acts as the main international airport, with flights operated by the [[Royal Air Force]] to [[RAF Brize Norton]] in [[Oxfordshire]], [[England]] via a refuelling stop at [[RAF Ascension Island]]. RAF flights are on [[Lockheed L-1011|TriStars]] although it is common for charter aircraft to be used if the TriStars are required for operational flights. At present (December 2007) the RAF air link is operated by [[Omni Air International]], using [[DC-10]]s. Weekly flights are also available to/from [[Santiago, Chile]], operated by [[LAN (airline)|LAN Airlines]].

[[Port Stanley Airport]] is a smaller airport outside the city, and is used for internal flights. Most settlements have grass air strips which are served by [[Britten-Norman Islander|Islander]] aircraft of the [[Falkland Islands Government Air Service]] (FIGAS). The internal flight schedule is decided a day in advance according to passenger needs and an announcement made on the radio detailing arrival and departure times the night before. The [[British International Helicopters|British International (BRINTEL)]] company also operate two [[H-3 Sea King|Sikorsky S61N]] helicopters for passenger flights between the islands. The [[British Antarctic Survey]] operates a transcontinental air link between the Falkland Islands and the [[Rothera Research Station|Rothera base]] airfield, servicing also other British bases in the [[British Antarctic Territory]] using a [[de Havilland Canada Dash 7]].

The road network has been improved in recent years. However, not too many paved roads exist outside Stanley and the RAF base.

==Landmines and ordnance==
Approximately twenty five thousand [[land mine]]s remaining from the 1982 war are securely and clearly fenced off. Free maps are available from the EOD ([[Explosive Ordnance Disposal]]) office in Stanley. Care should still be taken as some beaches were mined, and there have been concerns the tides could have moved some mines. The same applies where mine fields are close to rivers. Care should be taken in case mines have been washed out of the marked area by flooding. There is also [[unexploded ordnance|ordnance]] left over from the war, although finds of this type are becoming rarer with the passage of time.

In February 2005, the charity Landmine Action proposed a [[Kyoto Protocol|Kyoto]]-style credit scheme, which would see a commitment by the British government to clear an equivalent area of mined land to that currently existing in the Falklands in more seriously mine-affected countries by March 2009. This proposal was supported by Falkland Islanders, for whom landmines do not pose a serious threat in everyday life, but the British government is yet to declare its support or opposition to the idea.

==See also==
[[Image:Gypsy-Cove.jpg|thumb|223px|Penguins at Gypsy Cove.]]
{{wikisource|CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)}}
{{columns
|width=270px
|col1 =
* [[British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983]]
* [[Communications in the Falkland Islands]]
* [[Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey]]
* [[Falklands War]] (1982)
* [[Geology of the Falkland Islands]]
* [[List of Falkland Islands-related topics]]
* [[List of Falkland Islands placenames]]
* [[Falkland Islands national football team]]
* [[List of settlements in the Falkland Islands]]
* [[Major Samuel Stransham]]
* [[Military of the Falkland Islands]]
|col2 =
* [[Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands]]
* [[Stamps and postal history of the Falkland Islands]]
* [[Transport in the Falkland Islands]]
* [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]], a naval engagement during [[World War I]]
* [[Scouting in the Falkland Islands]]
* [[South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands]]
* [[Ascension Island]]
* [[Marion Island]]
}}

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Falkland Islands}}
* {{dmoz|Regional/South_America/Falkland_Islands/}}
* {{wikitravel}}
* [http://www.falklands.gov.fk/ Falkland Islands Government] official site
* [http://www.falklandislands.com/ Falkland Islands Tourism] official site
* [http://www.fidc.org.fk/ Falkland Islands Development Corporation] official site
* [http://www.falklandnews.com/ Falkland Islands News Network] official site
* [http://www.falklands.info/ Falkland Islands Information Portal]
* [http://www.samueljohnson.com/falklands.html Thoughts on the Late Transactions Respecting Falkland's Islands by Samuel Johnson 1771]

==References==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the<ref> and </ref> tags and the tag below -->
<div class="references-small">
* L.L. Ivanov et al, ''The Future of the Falkland Islands and Its People'', Double T Publishers, Sofia, 2003, 96 pp. ([http://www.falklands-malvinas.com/forum/kb.php?mode=article&k=13&sid=1284138c377ef0ed0e7d9f67428d1f0b Complete text]) ISBN 954-91503-1-3 
* Carlos Escudé and Andrés Cisneros, eds., ''Historia de las Relaciones Exteriores Argentinas'', Work developed and published under the auspices of the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI), GEL/Nuevohacer (Buenos Aires), 2000. 
([http://www.cema.edu.ar/ceieg/arg-rree/historia_indice00.htm Complete text] in Spanish) ISBN 950-694-546-2
{{reflist}}

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[[Category:South America]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes]]
[[Category:Disputed islands]]
[[Category:English-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:Geographical naming disputes]]
[[Category:Geography]]